Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours

Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours FGN21 CHINA-MALDIVES-STATION China's ocean observation station at Maldives not a submarine base: Chinese media Beijing: An upcoming Chinese ocean observation station in the Maldives, not far off from the Indian coast, has neither a military application nor meant to be a submarine base, according to Chinese analysts. By K J M Varma FGN20 CANADA-MP-RESIGNS Indian-origin Liberal MP quits as chair of party's Pacific Caucus over Atwal controversy Ottawa: Indian-origin Randeep Sarai, a Canadian MP who had invited a convicted Sikh terrorist to a formal dinner during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit to India, has quit as chair of the Liberal party's Pacific Caucus, taking responsibility for the goof-up, a media report says. FGN18 CANADA-INDIA-TRUDEAU Canadian PM stands by official who suggested 'factions' in India 'sabotaged' his trip Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is standing by a senior government official who suggested that a convicted Sikh terrorist's presence at a formal dinner was arranged by "factions within the Indian government to sabotage" his visit to India, according to media reports. FGN17 SRIDEVI-SLEEPINGBEAUTY Sridevi 'looked like a sleeping beauty': social worker Dubai: Sridevi looked like a "sleeping beauty" on her final journey home from Dubai, an Indian social worker who was involved in the process to repatriate the Bollywood diva's body to India says. FGN14 US-CHINA China rewriting norms that does not trend in its favour: US general Washington: China is trying to rewrite norms that it perceives do not trend in its favour and showing worrying tendency to challenge the existing rules-based order from which it has been a major beneficiary, a top US commander says. By Lalit K Jha FGN12 US-KUSHNER-2NDLD SECURITY Jared Kushner's access to top secrets withdrawn: Reports Washington: US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been stripped of his top-secret security clearance, limiting his unfettered access to see the country's top secrets, media reports say.

By Lalit K Jha FGN9 US-2NDLD PAK Pak is yet to take decisive actions against terrorists: US general Washington: Pakistan will continue to face a freeze in US security assistance as it is yet to take "definitive action" against militant groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani network, a senior US commander has said. By Lalit K Jha FGN5 US-TALIBAN Taliban doesn't seem to be ready for peace talks: US Washington: The Taliban in Afghanistan does not seem to be ready for peace talks, the Trump administration says, asserting that any such talks have to be "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned". By Lalit K Jha FGN19 EU-BREXIT-NIRELAND EU Brexit treaty says N Ireland could stay in customs union Brussels: The EU says that British-ruled Northern Ireland could stay part of a customs union with the bloc after Brexit if a better solution is not found. (AFP) FGN15 BANGLA-NOBEL-ROHINGYA 3 Nobel laureates blame Suu Kyi for Rohingya crisis Dhaka: Three Nobel Peace laureates accuse Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the nation's military of genocide for their role in violence that has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. (AP) FGN13 MALDIVES-LAWYERS Maldives detains and deports international lawyers Colombo: The Maldives detained and deported a group of international lawyers who travelled to the troubled honeymoon islands to study the impact of emergency rule, their organisation say. (AFP) FGN11 ISRAEL-2NDLD CHURCH Church at Jesus's traditional burial site reopens after protest Jerusalem: The Jerusalem church built at the site many see as the holiest in Christianity reopens after a three-day closure to protest against Israeli measures had left thousands of visitors locked outside.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)